Scribbles from A Faraway Land
by sparky-poo
Summary: Various oneshots featuring the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Some written for writing challenges, others written just because. #2: Your Bad Dreams are All About Me- Four times Azula never sees her mother and the one time she maybe does.
1. this is not a competition

**Fandom: **Avatar: The Last Airbender  
**Title: **This is not a Competition  
**Characters: **Mai, Suki  
**Word Count: **1094  
**Notes: **Written for week #29: Road Not Taken in livejournal community, avatarcontest.

**Summary: **She doesn't know him as well as she hopes to. And the worst thing is there are a lot of people who know him better than she ever will.

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**  
this is not a competition  
**_(because she's definitely losing)_

* * *

Five minutes in the teashop and she knew that she shouldn't have come.

Her boyfriend had been invited to a post-war get together party _(boring)_ with his so-called 'friends' _(boring, boring)_ in his uncle's newest teashop that's located in none other than the infamous Ba Sing Se _(boring, boring, boring)_.

She didn't want to come. In fact, she'd rather go to the Kyoshi Islands to visit Ty Lee than meeting a bald monk, some Water Tribe peasants, and a self-centered blind girl who apparently thinks that she's too good for anyone but her friends _(Mai likes sarcasm better when she's not on the receiving end)_ but Zuko looked at her with that look upon his face, and that smile that was reserved for her solely before he left her with only a pathetic excuse of a letter.

So she accompanied him. But only, only, because he asked her, and that's what she's been repeating in her head. Because she cares for him, only him.

They arrived and she watched as the smile she recognized as their smile appeared in his face when he met his friends. She snorted in disgust when the Avatar's bison tried to lick her boyfriend _(She never likes animals)_, frowned when the Tribesman slapped 'Jerkbender's' back and the blind girl punched his arm, and realized that now she's sharing his smiles with Azula's former enemies.

She should've been gone by the time he was hugging the Avatar like a long lost soulmate and moved to hug the water girl without any hesitation _(The Zuko that Mai knows doesn't do public displays of affection unless he's with her, and he definitely doesn't hug boys in public)_, but his uncle's voice called her with a polite, "Lady Mai, it's very nice to see you!" and everyone in the room turned to look at her for the first time. Except for the blind girl, of course.

It all went downhill from there.

* * *

After an awkward and quick introduction, _(Mai was sure she saw a frown in the water girl's face and the blind girl didn't even turn her head to the right direction- Mai knew she can tell)_ her boyfriend's uncle invited them to sit and have some light snacks, and she knew that snacks mean socializing.

She was in no mood to socialize.

Apparently, her boyfriend did not share the same sentiments.

Two fruit tarts and a cup of tea later she found out a lot of things that she didn't know before, and almost all of them were about the newly crowned Fire Lord.

She didn't know that he defied Admiral Zhao _(Mai never wondered of what happened to the man- she didn't even know that he disappeared)_, or that he almost got killed by some pirates, or that he was known as 'Jerkbender', 'Sifu Hotman' and 'The Angry Jerk with a ponytail'. Burning villages down didn't surprise her, but the water girl's account of his actions did.

Mai didn't know her boyfriend was the type who ties girls to a tree.

She knew that lines were appearing in her face as she watched him laughing- laughing- with the mocha-skinned girl after her recounts of their- his- past, even after their laughter was joined by the Avatar's light chuckles and General Iroh- former General's hearty guffaws. Soon the teashop was filled by snickers and giggles- so much happiness.

Mai didn't laugh. She had no reason to.

* * *

"It's okay to be jealous, you know."

Mai glared at the auburn-haired girl that had taken a place beside her on one of the teashop's armchairs- she was doing just fine by herself, before the Tribeman's girlfriend interrupted her quiet musings, and turned her head away from the other girl.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

It was a lie. Mai knew exactly what this girl was talking about, and the sight that greeted her eyes when she did a quick search around the shop confirmed that. Not wanting to look at her boyfriend and the Avatar and the waterbender _(what is it with those three that they have to stick together all the time)_ chatting happily with his uncle anymore _(he's been doing that for the last two hours)_, she turned away.

"I don't know Sokka that well either."

Mai almost sighed. Almost. What? Now the Kyoshi warrior is going to spill the contents of her heart to her? As if dealing with Ty Lee's girly talks wasn't bad enough.

But the girl seemed to take her silence as a permission to carry on, and continued, "I know the feeling. I used to have the same one when I just joined them, you know? Even though I met him first, sometimes I feel like I don't know him, or at least, don't know him enough like the others do. And it's not that great of a feeling- even if I know that I can't help but knowing him only that much because I wasn't there, on their road with him."

"I think I know my boyfriend just fine." Finally she answered with a hint of irritation in her voice. Admitting she didn't know him to Zuko himself was one thing, but for this girl to assume that she didn't know him was, well- for Mai, it was rude.

"No, you don't."

"Excuse me?" This girl better explained herself. Mai was running out of patience, and that was a great deal after being friends with Ty Lee for almost her whole life.

"You might've known him since you two are little but there's nothing that can make up for those years he spent away from you. Maybe the person who can claim to actually know him is his uncle, who knows- even Katara might know him better than you."

At the mention of the waterbender's name, Mai snorted. "Well you might be jealous but I'm not."

"It's okay. I was jealous of Toph, at first. She joked with Sokka as if they've known each other forever." The Kyoshi warrior sighed. "And besides, this isn't about which girl who knows him the most. They picked us."

Mai's lips moved on her own before she could stop them. "They picked us."

"Yeah. They did."

"What are you still doing here?"

"I… want to ask you to play Pai Sho against me?"

This time, Mai really did sigh. She looked at the girl beside her, weighing her options. A loud laughter from across the room made up her mind. "Come on." When the other girl smiled, she quickly added, "Before I change my mind."

She was getting bored anyway.

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**I've told you once, and I'll tell you again, I don't own Avatar. Reviews and constructive critics will be very appreciated.**


	2. your bad dreams are all about me

**Fandom: **Avatar: The Last Airbender  
**Title: **your bad dreams are all about me  
**Characters: **Azula, Ursa  
**Word Count: **1115  
****

Summary: Four times Azula never sees her mother (and one time she maybe does).

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**your bad dreams are all about me  
**_(you left me all alone and I never cared)_

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**1.**

Her brother never sits under that tree in the garden after _she _left. Neither does her father (but he never comes there except for that one time so no one misses him anyways) and Azula, for the tenth time this week- finds herself alone in the too-quiet garden under the too-big tree looking at the stupid turtleducks.

There's a loaf of bread in her hands and she cuts that for being a tradition (and not because).

A frown appears in her 12-years-old face as the pond's occupants squawk annoyingly and, as she watches, it seems as if they were swimming away from her direction.

She tests the theory by coming closer to the pond; and yes, the turtleducks quickly scurry away- the biggest one (their mother, she presumes) squawking left and right.

After the ripples settle, she can almost see a tall figure with a red robe and an all too-familiar crown (she averts her eyes so she can't see the long black hair and the golden eyes and the pale heart-shaped face) and she hears that voice, carried by the wind.

"_That's what moms are like. "_

She takes a stance, right hand back, left foot forward- her right wrist tightens its hold onto the bread-

"_You mess with their babies-"_

A perfect swing, _bull's eye- _and she knows without looking that Mother Turtleduck is sinking down, knocked out (hopefully) and dead (regrettably)- the ridiculous amount of its offspring's squawking that happens precisely a minute later indicates the same thing.

"_-they'll bite you back."_

Note to self: Tell daddy we need a new set of turtleducks. A stupid servant mixed up their food and one of them is dead now.

-

-

**2.**

Ty Lee proves to be very agreeable after a few pushes and pulls- Azula smiles as the acrobat excuses herself from the dressing room for packing- the tent flaps open and closes; it's all hers for now.

The ornate mirror that her friend used earlier catches her attention- an antique; the details of a gold lining are still visible although it's rusting- probably smuggled from the palace years ago. She smirks, all the material to use for her- she doesn't like that Circus Master; people like him succumbs fast to power, and she can't have Daddy breathing down her neck if he finds out that she's forcing a nobleman's daughter on her quest, can she?

Not that Ty Lee's a nobleman's daughter any longer anyway- that fool of her father probably had disowned her by now. His loss, then.

She fingers the mirror's edges- definitely one of the palace's- and at the same time, a wind breezes in, snuffing some of the candles off.

Ignoring that as she continues inspecting the mirror, she can't help but think that in this light, the dim tent almost look like the Royal Palace, and the mirror look like one of the dressing room's- her mother's-

"_Be nice to your friends, Azula."_

She snaps up and her reflection's hair is longer, eyes older-

_Crack._

No one in the circus ever asks about the broken mirror in its former star's changing room.

-

-

**3.**

The last Earth Kingdom's stronghold is going to fall any day and she founds herself somewhat satisfied.

(Only somewhat, because- well, Ba Sing Se is still standing. For now.)

Ty Lee is sleeping and Mai is off out there doing who-knows-what; she's amused at the mere thought of the stony girl 'mingling' with the Earth Kingdom peasants. Identities are the one thing she can worry less about - the Kyoshi outfits, dreadful as they may be, have proven their value upon her entry, and will continue as an important tool in her plans.

Tonight is a very good evening, enjoyable enough for her to ignore the shadow she sees at every turn and every stop; the shadow of a figure she does not want to think about right now.

She turns around and there she is; a ghost from the past- she hates to think that it's only because of the exquisite power and knowledge she holds right now that she's able to do this.

(They never meet face-to-face until now)

The ghost is silent and dissipates into ashes when she walks through.

She tries to forget those disappointed eyes.

-

-

**4.**

Zuko is back and the palace has one less empty room.

There are still a lot of them left (and it's not like her brother stays in his room- she has eyes, a fact that dear little Zuzu always forget) and she stays in one of them- the one that has plans and schemes all over it (it starts to feel a little more like home) and starts planning.

Alone.

Her father is busy, Ty Lee is with her parents and Mai is with Zuko- her brother himself is all over the place, a koala-sheep trapped in the house of spider-snakes- she waits for him to fall prey and she'll take whatever's left of his miserable carcass.

The thought almost distracts her. Almost.

"_It's okay if you don't like being alone."_

Her face crunches and she hisses, "Shut. Up."

"_I will always be-"_

Her own voice sounded like ice.

"Stay away."

Fire Lord Ozai doesn't even move his eyes when one of the palace's staff reports the removal of all the mirrors in the rooms that are currently being used by the Fire Princess.

-

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**5.**

She refuses to acknowledge that she's falling apart; jagged pieces are falling right and left in front of her eyes courtesy of daddy dearest and her lovely little friends who turned traitors- because she is not. She is in control, right now. She is about to become Fire Lord, and no one- no one is going to stop that.

Stalking down the hallways- left, right, turn down- she sees no one (good, they're useless) and slams the doors open to find an empty dressing room.

With a mirror in the middle of it.

She sees a woman she does not recognize- hair mussed, face crunched and eyes wild (she still refuse to fall) and fights the urge to scream; because this is supposed to be her on top of the world and she can not for her life figure out why does she feel like _nothing _right now. Why something is not right. Why her father is up there taking over the Earth Kingdom and she is here playing royalty and everyone else just seems to be fine with it. Why-

Why her hair is not what it's supposed to look like right now.

A cut and there-

"_What a shame, you always had such beautiful hair."_

She starts falling.

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**So.. the usuals. Avatar is not mine, the characters are not mine. Reviews and constructive critics will be deeply appreciated.**


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